Ancient Secrets Sunday

Divine whisperings to Santa

It’s the end of December and everyone is excited. They know it’s time when they hear reindeer making noises outside. A man, dressed in red with white fur cuffs and a pair of black boots, can be heard on the roof. He checks his sack full of delights before he prepares to climb down the smoke hole and descend into the dwelling below. Once inside, he hands out bright red presents to the inhabitants.

Sound familiar?

Whilst the description above would be recognised as Santa nowadays, I was actually describing a Siberian shaman. At the pinnacle of the Winter solstice festivities, the shaman would fill his sack with a mysterious mushroom, climb through the smoke hole and down the central wooden support pole of a yurt and distribute his goods to the inhabitants inside.

Once consumed, the villagers would experience visions, gain new knowledge and feel like they were flying on the reindeer.